Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The town, home to 27,923 people, lies in Co. Clare. Between 2016 and 2022, its population grew by 10%.
Hazards are a real consideration: an estimated 28% of homes are above the radon reference level. Ennis’s overall grade is B−, better than 49% of Irish towns. The ranking puts it #3 of 5 in Co. Clare. It lags on walkability as well — on the way to work, 13% walk, cycle or take the bus or train, where the typical Irish town has 23%. Homes are affordable (B+): set against the median household income, the median home, at €280,000, costs 5.2 times as much. Its other grades sit near the middle: B− for health and B for jobs & income.
Figures: prices, Property Price Register, 2023 to 2025 · incomes, CSO · radon, EPA · commuting, health and work, CSO Census 2022.
The 2 things Ennis does most differently from other towns.
Each subject compares Ennis with Irish towns of 2,500 or more, ordered by how far it is from the middle. Towns in other countries are graded separately.
How TownRatings grades Irish towns →
The register holds 74 buildings on the National Inventory in Ennis, 5 of them of national importance.
135 archaeological sites are on the record here too.
2% of its homes were built before 1919, against 3% in the median of Irish towns.
Castles, abbeys, gardens, museums and days out in and near Ennis. Best known first.
CathedralEnnis Cathedralin town
Abbey or priory · Office of Public WorksEnnis Friaryin town
MuseumClare Museumin town
CastleDromore Castle3.9 km outside town, to the north
CastleBallyhannon Castle3.2 km outside town, to the southeast
Abbey or prioryKillone Abbey1 km outside town, to the southPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Ennis.
A flood relief scheme, the Ennis (Upper) Flood Relief Scheme, protects parts of Ennis. Low-lying near a river: 44% of homes, higher than both Co. Clare’s towns (30%) and Irish towns (0.5%). For a swim, the nearest bathing water is Ballyallia Lake, Ennis, 3.6 km from Ennis, rated excellent in 2025.
| Share of homes | Ennis | Co. Clare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| In high-radon areas | 100% | 36% | 0% |
| Low-lying near a river | 44% | 30% | 0.5% |
| Low-lying near the coast | 0% | 0.9% | 0% |
EPA radon map, GSI landslide susceptibility and our low-lying homes estimate from OPW LiDAR.
In 2010 the typical home in Ennis sold for €173K; by 2025 it was €309K, 79% more. Private renters make up 23% of households. Home ownership stands at 63% of households.
| By type | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| New homes | €363,200 | 93 |
| Second-hand homes | €270,000 | 971 |
| The last 12 months | €330,000 | 322 |
| Housing | Ennis | Co. Clare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent on a new tenancy, a month | €1,157 | €1,229 | €1,606 |
| Median sale price | €280K | €271K | €350K |
| Households renting privately | 23% | 19% | 22% |
| Households owning their home | 63% | 66% | 61% |
Property Price Register · CSO residential prices by Eircode area · RTB rents · CSO, Census 2022 tenure
Town centres with shops, stations and nightlife record more incidents per resident: they are counted where they happen, not where victims live.
Among the graded crimes in Ennis, the most frequent was assaults and harassment (2023–2025). Violent crime ran at 6.8 per 1,000 residents a year, higher than both Co. Clare’s towns (4) and Irish towns (5.7). Every year, 58.7 crimes are recorded per 1,000 residents.
Not in the gradeTheft, public order and offences found by Garda checks (drugs, road traffic, dangerous acts) are shown but left out of the Safety Grade, which counts violence, burglary and damage.
| Per 1,000 a year | Ennis | Co. Clare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 6.8 | 4 | 5.7 |
| All recorded crime | 58.7 | 35.2 | 54.3 |
| Theft | 16.1 | 6.6 | 15.3 |
CSO recorded crime by Garda station, 2023–2025, shared to towns by where residents live · Census 2022 populations
Household income came to €53,417 a year before tax, lower than both Co. Clare’s towns (€57,832) and Irish towns (€57,760). The commute to work averages 23.7 min. At the census, nearly one in ten workers worked mainly from home.
| Census 2022 | Ennis | Co. Clare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trips under 15 minutes | 44% | 46% | 31% |
| Average trip | 23.7 min | 21.9 min | 27.6 min |
| Median household income | €53,417 | €57,832 | €57,760 |
| Unemployment rate | 9.6% | 8.8% | 9.2% |
CSO, Census 2022 travel to work, work and education · CSO Geographical Profiles of Income 2022 · Live Register · Census day was 3 April 2022, with working from home still common; shares are of those who travelled.
In July, daytime highs in Ennis average 19.6°C. Across the year it averages 10.5°C, close to both Co. Clare’s towns (10.6°C) and Irish towns (10.3°C). December is the wettest month in the town, with 152 mm of rain on average.
| Climate, 1991–2020 | Ennis | Co. Clare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rain a year | 1,272 mm | 1,142 mm | 937 mm |
| July high | 19.6°C | 19.7°C | 19.9°C |
| Average temperature over the year | 10.5°C | 10.6°C | 10.3°C |
Met Éireann, 1991–2020 averages.
There are 6 parks in Ennis; together its green space comes to 112 ha. Protected nature near Ennis includes Ballyallia Lake SAC. Within 5 km, 7.8% of the land is protected nature, below Co. Clare’s towns (22%) but above Irish towns (1.8%). 75% of homes are within 400 m of green space.
| Outdoors | Ennis | Co. Clare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Woodland within 1 km | 9.6% | 3.6% | 2.7% |
| Protected nature within 5 km | 7.8% | 22% | 1.8% |
| Near a park | 75% | 64% | 92% |
| Paths per km² of town | 0.7 km per km² | 0.9 km per km² | 2.1 km per km² |
OpenStreetMap parks and paths, NPWS protected sites and the National Trails Register.
The heaviest rain of the week is due on Tuesday, around 5 mm. Ennis’ November average makes a useful yardstick: afternoons reach 11°C, nights fall to 5°C. A settled, dry day lies ahead today: light wind up to 19 km/h, then a low of 5°C.
| Season | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 9°C | 3°C | 397 mm |
| Spring | 14°C | 6°C | 245 mm |
| Summer | 19°C | 11°C | 271 mm |
| Autumn | 14°C | 8°C | 359 mm |
Forecast: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0) · normals: Met Éireann, 1991–2020
Born abroad: 23% of residents, about level with Irish towns (22%) and above Co. Clare’s towns (18%). Degrees are held by 37% of adults. Young adults of 15 to 24 account for just over a tenth of the town.
52.1% of Ennis’ residents are women
14,546 women and 13,377 men live here; across Ireland, women are 50.6%.
| Ennis | Co. Clare | Ireland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 20% | 20% | 20% |
| 15–24 | 11% | 12% | 12% |
| 25–44 | 28% | 28% | 29% |
| 45–64 | 26% | 25% | 24% |
| 65+ | 15% | 14% | 14% |
| Primary or none | 8.7% | 10% | 9.7% |
| Lower secondary | 12% | 15% | 14% |
| Leaving Cert | 36% | 40% | 35% |
| Diploma or cert | 6.2% | 6.9% | 5.8% |
| Degree or higher | 37% | 26% | 36% |
CSO, Census 2022 · Co. Clare and Ireland: the median of their towns of 2,500+
At the general election, 64% of voters took part. Clare County Council is the one council for Ennis; Ireland has no town or county councils between it and the government. No party holds a majority on Clare County Council: Fianna Fáil lead with 14 of 28 seats, short of the 15 needed.
| Turnout | Ennis | Co. Clare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| General election, November 2024 | 64% | 64% | 59% |
| Local elections, June 2024 | 49% | 50% | 46% |
Department of Housing count sheets, 2024
Scaled to its population, that is 27 inventory buildings for every 10,000 people in Ennis. Homes from before 1919 make up 2.4% of the total, higher than Co. Clare’s towns (1%) yet lower than Irish towns (3.4%). Ennis’ built heritage counts 74 inventory entries; 5 carry national or international standing.
| Heritage | Ennis | Co. Clare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Archaeological sites on the record | 135 | 6 | 11 |
| Inventory buildings per 10,000 residents | 27 | 12 | 48 |
NIAH, the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage · Sites and Monuments Record · CSO, Census 2022 homes by year built
Disability, age-adjusted: 104 for every 100 expected in Ennis. Of the 5 towns in Co. Clare, Ennis has the second-smallest share in bad or very bad health: 2.3%. Unpaid carers make up 5.8% of residents, above Co. Clare’s towns (5.4%) and Irish towns (5.4%) alike.
| Census 2022 | Ennis | Co. Clare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unpaid carers | 5.8% | 5.4% | 5.4% |
| Bad or very bad health | 2.3% | 2.6% | 2% |
| Good or very good health | 87% | 87% | 88% |
| With a disability | 22% | 24% | 22% |
CSO, Census 2022 general health, disability and carers · CSO life expectancy by region, 2016 · HSE medical cards, 2024 · TownRatings age-standardised ratios
18 schools lie within 3 km of Ennis: 12 primary schools, 4 secondary schools and 2 special schools. Irish-medium schools make up 6%, below both Co. Clare’s towns (10%) and Irish towns (8%). Coláiste Mhuire is the nearest secondary school, 0.3 km away.
| School | Level | Pupils | Ethos |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bunscoil na mBraithre Special classesLargest primary schoolPrimary | Primary | 643 | Catholic |
| St Flannan's CollegeLargest post-primary schoolPost-primary · Voluntary secondary | Post-primary · Voluntary secondary | 1,270 | Catholic |
| Gael Sc Mhichil Chiosog GaelscoilTeaches through IrishPrimary | Primary | 451 | Catholic |
| Ennis Community College Irish streamIn the DEIS schemePost-primary · ETB | Post-primary · ETB | 614 | Multi-denominational |
| Schools within 3 km | Ennis | Co. Clare | Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single-sex secondaries | 25% | 0% | 39% |
| Teach through Irish | 6% | 10% | 8% |
| Pupils since 2019/20 | +1% | −2% | +4% |
| In the DEIS scheme | 33% | 38% | 35% |
Department of Education school lists, 2025/26 (preliminary) · no results are published by school · Ireland doesn’t publish results for individual schools, so none of these carries a letter.
Ennis’ built heritage counts 74 inventory entries; 5 carry national or international standing. The national record lists 135 archaeological sites in and around the town.
58 notable people were born in Ennis.
Harriet Smithson: Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain · William Mulready: Robert Howlett, Public domain · Pat Breen: World Trade Organization from Switzerland, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Des Lynam: Phil Guest from Bournemouth, UK, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Willie Boland: Jonesy702, CC BY-SA 4.0 · James Patrick Mahon: Leslie Ward, Public domain
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Boundaries: Tailte Éireann, CSO Urban Areas 2022 and Electoral Divisions.
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ennis | 27,923 | — | B− | B+ | C | B− |
| Newmarket-On-Fergus | 1,887 | 11 | — | B | A+ | C |
| Shannon | 10,256 | 17 | B | B+ | B− | C |
| Sixmilebridge | 2,832 | 18 | B+ | B | B− | B+ |
People: CSO, Census 2022. Distances: centre to centre.
77% of working residents drive to work and 13% walk, cycle or take the bus or train (the median of Irish towns: 23%).
Ennis had 27,923 people at the 2022 census, up from 25,434 in 2016: 9.8% more, against 7.6% in the median of Irish towns.
The median age in Ennis is 39.3, against 37.6 in the median of Irish towns. 20% of residents are under 15 and 15% are 65 or over.
Urban area in Co. Clare
Ennis has 27,923 people, in the area of Clare County Council. TownRatings uses the CSO’s 2022 Urban Areas as Ireland’s towns: the physical town, as people mean the word, rather than a county or a council area, so its figures cover the town itself.
Built from Tailte Éireann’s boundaries and the CSO’s Census 2022 (CC BY 4.0)
Sources: CSO, Census 2022 Small Area Population Statistics (CC BY 4.0) · Tailte Éireann, Urban Areas and Electoral Divisions 2022 (CC BY 4.0) · TownRatings grades, run #544 (Irish towns only). Under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0).
Contains Central Statistics Office (CSO) data, Census 2022, and Tailte Éireann boundaries (CSO Urban Areas, Small Areas, local electoral areas, constituencies), under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0).